88

HOURS LATER

As Damon stepped into his city apartment, a heavy silence greeted him, amplified by the absence of any illumination.

The darkness enveloped him like a heavy cloak, its weight pressing down on his shoulders as he traversed the familiar space.

He made no move to flick on a light switch, preferring instead to let the shadows consume him, mirroring the desolation that gnawed at his insides.

Approaching the drinks table, he reached for a decanter, his hand moving with practiced precision as he poured himself a potent measure of whiskey.

The liquid glimmered faintly in the dimness, casting fleeting reflections against the polished surface of the glass.

With a solemn sigh, he lifted the drink to his lips, the fiery liquid igniting a dull ache in his chest as it slid down his throat.

Leaning against the window, he gazed out at the city sprawled before him, its towering buildings reaching up towards the inky sky like silent sentinels.

The nocturnal metropolis seemed to pulse w